WELCOME TO

MEADOW SWEET APIARIES

Pittsburgh, PA

Master Beekeeper, author and nationally recognized lecturer Stephen Repasky is the owner and operator of Meadow Sweet Apiaries. We raise local survivor stock queens as well as queens with VSH genetics from Harbo Queens and the Purdue Leg Chewer genetics. Nucs are available for order beginning in January through early June.

Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it is here that we do what we can for the honey bee. Honey bees play an important role in our environment. They are responsible for pollinating 80% of our crops - thats 1/3 of all the food that we eat!! Please do your part and support your local beekeeper by buying fresh local honey and refraining from exterminating honey bees that may be located in the walls of your home or a swarm that has landed in your yard. We can help solve those issues for you in a safe responsible way while still protecting your home, your property AND the honey bees!!

We offer several different products from the honey bee colonies that we manage in the Pittsburgh area. Honey, lotions and lip balm are just a few and we are always working on developing more! Please visit our products page for more information.

If you have a swarm of honeybees that landed on a shrub or bush or some other location, please contact us immediately! If you have an established colony inside of your wall and you would rather have them saved and relocated than extermintated, I can help! See my services page for more info.

Interested in becoming a beekeeper? Its our busy time - stay tuned for upcoming classes and workshops or check out our Speaking Engagements where you can hear Master Beekeeper Stephen Repasky lecture and teach about honey bees.

Stephen Repasky

EAS Master Beekeeper, Author and Consultant

Stephen Repasky is a second-generation beekeeper living in Pittsburgh, PA. He is a certified Master Beekeeper through the Eastern Apicultural Society and is also the current President of the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association, president of Burgh Bees, and a member of the Board of Directors for the American Beekeeping Federation. He is also an active member of the Keystone Queen Breeders Cooperative and is a member of the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research Advisory Board and the Pennsylvania State Apiary Advisory Board. Stephen manages approximately 100 colonies and is involved in honey production, queen rearing and the selling of nucleus hives each summer to those interested in starting or expanding their own beekeeping adventure!

Stephen had his first book published by Wicwas Press in 2014 entitled " Swarm Essentials" and can be found teaching beekeeping classes and workshops in the Pittsburgh area and presenting lectures on a variety of beekeeping topics at local clubs and many regional and national conferences around the United States.

History

As Stephen became more involved with honey bees in the Pittsburgh area and beyond, the number of colonies also grew and the need for a formal name arose. Meadow Sweet Apiaries was established as the popularity of his bees honey, removal services and educational services grew.

Stephen has been involved with bees since the age of four when he would help his father tend to the honey bee colonies on their small farm in western Pennsylvania. After a brief hiatus and graduating from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Stephen began keeping bees again, this time on his own. His first year was a rough start. New pests such as the varroa mite were present now that were not present in his childhood years. The first few colonies were swarms that he caught in July- unfortunately those bees did not survive the winter. The next year, with an earlier start and several more swarms, Stephen's beekeeping career took off. Those few colonies have since turned into nearly 100 colonies of honey producing hives, a queen rearing operation and the selling of nucleus hives each summer to those interested in starting or expanding their own beekeeping adventure!

Documentaries, Radio Shows and Articles

Documentary on Urban Beekeeping in Pittsburgh

Portrait of an Urban Beekeeper

Filmmaker Steve Ellington produced a fantastic documentary that follows urban beekeeper Stephen Repasky through some of the more busier times of keeping bees. Honey harvesting, catching swarms and some great footage of bees are included in this 20 minute video.

Article from the American Bee Journal

MEADOW SWEET APIARIES IS ABLE TO HANDLE MANY OF YOUR NEEDS AS A HOMEOWNER, BEEKEEPER OR AS AN EDUCATOR.

Beekeeping Classes

Beekeeping Classes - Winter is the time to begin your beekeeping journey! Master Beekeeper and Author, Stephen Repasky will be teaching a class at the Fern Hollow Nature Center January 20, 2018. This all day class includes all of the basics and more on the how to of keeping honey bees. Biology, diseases and Pests, equipment, management and more will be discussed. A book will included in the cost of the class. Please bring your own lunch and drinking fluids. You can sign up for the class here: cost $115 per person. Class Sign Up Form

Swarm Removal

Swarm Removal - Honey bee swarms are natures way of reproducing in a large scale. Swarms are extremely docile and often seem to appear in minutes! DO NOT SPRAY THEM!!!! They may stay in one location temporarily for a few hours up to a few days. Please do not confuse them with a hornets nest!! Swarms are common in western Pennsylvania beginning May 1 - July 1. Although this is when they are at their peak, they can sometimes be found outside of these dates. Swarm Removal is done in a manner so as not to harm the honey bees and relocating them to one of our outyards to start a new colony. There is generally no charge for a swarm removal, however a donation to cover time and travel is always GREATLY appreciated!! Please call usimmediately if you see a swarm in your yard!

This IS a honey bees swarm - notice the absence of a covering! A honey bee swarm is temporary and can stay in one spot for a few hours to several days.

This is NOT a honey bee swarm - this is a hornets nest. Honey bees do NOT build a nest in the open.

Colony Removal and Relocation

Colony Removals from Structures and Trees - these are situations that require a site visit in order to accurately assess the situation. Removals are quite time consuming and require someone with knowledge of honeybee biology, habits and construction of houses. It is advised that homeowners NOT eliminate honey bee colonies that are established within their walls due to a number of reasons. A honey bee colony maintains the temperature of the comb and also defends it from pests. Should you eliminate the honey bees, the comb is now unprotected from heat and pests and can result in honey dripping into your walls and ceilings creating staining in these areas. An unprotected comb also can be prone to infestation by a number of pests such as ants, cockroaches, moths, mice and many more. Please contact us to discuss details and set up an appointment to look at your colony.

Here is a colony of honeybees that made their home in the ceiling of a house and a colony in a tree that was being removed. These honeybees are able to be safely removed without elimination!

BEEKEEPING CONSULTATIONS

Every now and then, whether you are a new or veteran beekeeper alike, you run into a situation that you may not understand or cant quite figure out what you are looking at. Our consultation services will allow some one on one time with an experienced Master Beekeeper. See below for more information and pricing.

Phone calls - Need a quick reassurance that you are doing the right thing? Have a few questions that can be answered over the phone? Stephen is available for a 10 minute phone call at no cost to help you along the way.

Site Visits - a phone call doesn't do it? Stephen can come out to your hives for a visit and assessment and help you with some one on one beekeeping. Fees begin at $75 an hour. He can assist you with capturing a swarm, making a split, requeening, identifying diseases and pests or just plain basic beekeeping instruction.

Pest/Disease Sampling -Do you have trouble sampling for mites? Or do you want to see if your hive has nosema and at what levels? Testing and sampling is available for your bees. Quick and accurate results is a short amount of time. Contact us for details and pricing.

MEADOW SWEET APIARIES IS A PRODUCER OF LOCAL Honey, products of the hive, local QUEENS AND NUCLEUS COLONIES. WHETHER YOU ARE JUST STARTING OUT OR WANT TO REPLACE YOUR CURRENT QUEEN WITH A LOCAL QUEEN FROM SURVIVOR STOCK WE CAN HELP YOU HERE! We are also an Authorized dealer of Mann lake beekeeping equipment and carry all of the essentials.I HAVE ALSO PUBLISHED A NEW BOOK ON SWARMING ENTITLED "SWARM ESSENTIALS" THAT CAN ALSO BE PURCHASED HERE.

2018 NUCS - SOLD OUT!

2018 Nucleus Colonies (or nucs) are great for getting a fast start. They are made up of 5 DEEP frames with a mated laying queen, brood of all ages as well as frames with honey and pollen. Frames are less than two years old and in good shape. 5 frame nucs are comprised of at least 2 frames of brood plus a frame of honey, a frame of pollen and a frame that may be full or partially drawn to allow for growth - all on DEEP frames. These nucs will grow fast.

2018 LOCAL QUEENS - Available Late May

2018 Queens -Our locally mated queens are raised from proven stock. They are Carniolan based and open mated with local drones. This year, we will have daughter queens raised from pure Russian queens, VSH queens and local survivor stock. Color will vary as we select for survivorship, productivity and mite resistance. Prices include marking if desired. Shipping cost will vary depending on method used (prefer to ship overnight due to less stress).

It is usually best to plan ahead if you can when ordering queens so that you know that we will have them available, although there will be times where accidents happen and you need a queen NOW! Meadow Sweet Apiaries can help you with any of those circumstances! Mated queens will be available starting mid-May. Virgin queens and cells are also available for purchase. No shipping available for cells. Contact us for availability. Prices range from $15-$20 for virgin queens and $30-$40 for mated queens.

Swarm Essentials Book - 128 pages. Swarming is one of the most powerful instincts that most successful beekeepers encounter. Swarm Essentials outlines the ramifications of swarming behavior (highlighting the often overlooked benefits), proven prevention and management techniques, and how to recover and even prosper from a successful swarm attempt. Second generation beekeeper Stephen J. Repasky's inaugural publication marks the latest addition to the Essentials series and is an excellent read for any beekeeper who hopes to make it past their first year. Price $23.00 includes shipping and handling. Purchase Here!

BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT

We are an authorized dealer of MANN LAKE beekeeping equipment. We have much of the basic equipment in stock - contact us with your needs, anything not in stock we can order for you quickly.

Products of the Hive

Local Honey - Our local honey is most easily placed into three categories. Spring Summer and Fall. The color and flavor varies from a light bodied, sweet, delicate and lightly colored spring honey from the flowers of maples, dandelions, black locust and basswood. The amber colored more fuller bodied summer honey comes from our clovers, sumacs, blackberries and numerous wildflowers. The season ends with a rich, dark, full bodied fall honey made from the flowers of knotweed, boneset, goldenrod and asters. Price varies from $8.00-$10.00 per pound. SUMMER HONEY NOW AVAILABLE!

Propolis Tincture - Our propolis tincture is an extract of 40% propolis and 60% grain alcohol. Propolis is a product that bees collect from various trees and is used to seal gaps in the hive and more importantly keep the hive healthy. Propolis has been shown to to have anti-microbial and anti-viral properties. Some like to use it to help in taking care of sore throats, boosting immune systems, and various other ailments. Caution should be taken when first using pure propolis products as a small percentage of people may have a reaction to it. Price: $15.00 US Product currently SOLD OUT.

Let your lips bee kissed with our all natural lip balms made with local honey and wax1

Tube Lip Balm - This lip balm has been noted to have the smoothness to keep your lips healthy and soft and have the smell and delightful taste of the popular after dinner mints! Great for putting in your purse or pocket and made from all natural ingredients and local wax and honey. Keep your lips looking great - bee kissed everyday with Meadow Sweet Bees lip balms! Price: $3.00 for a .15 oz classic tube. Product currently in stock

Soothing Lip Balm - The Soothing Lip Balm is similar to the tube lip balm but has some different natural ingredients to assist in quicker soothing for chapped and cracked lips. Our soothing lip balms contain jojoba oils to keep your lips soft and a small amount of propolis to help your lips recover quickly. Price: $4.00 for a .25 oz tin.

Creamed Honey - Creamed or spun honey is a fabulous form of honey that is fantastic for spreading on toast, peanut butter and honey sandwhiches or just having a non drippy form of honey for your tea! Creamed honey is honey that has been crystallized by controlling the time and temperature at which the honey crystallizes producing small, smooth crystals that are very palatable. Price: $9.00 per 12 oz jar. Product currently OUT OF STOCK

Moisturizing Lotion Bar - This light and lovely lotion will keep the dry areas of your skin soft and moisturized. Made with natural ingredients and local honey, this can be used year round. Bee Touched with this lotion! Price: $8.00 for a 2 oz tin.

Cut Comb Honey - This is honey still in the comb straight out of the hive! Cut comb is produced by allowing the honey bees to build fresh delicate wax and fill it with a nice light spring honey. This product is often in very limited supply. It can be eaten just as is or prepared as a nice little dessert. OUT OF STOCK.

2 oz honey bears make great gifts!

Honey Bears - These 2 oz honey bears make great stocking stuffers, shower gifts or wedding favors. They are also great for quick trips or travel on airplanes (TSA approved!). They are filled with the honey available at that particular time of the year when ordered. Price: $2.00-$2.50 per bear. Product currently available.

February 3, 2018

February 11, 2018

August 12-August 18, 2018

Eastern Apicultural Society Conference

Hampton, VA

Teaching portions of the Short Course

Interested in Having a Master beekeeper speak at your event or teach a workshop? See Below!

If you would like to have Master Beekeeper and author Stephen Repasky come to your conference, meeting or beekeeping club to lecture on a beekeeping topic, Please send Stephen an email via the contact page with details of what type of program you are interested in.